Did you know that the soil beneath our feet plays a key role in keeping our water clean? This World Soil Day, we’re showing how protecting soil health can benefit farmers, nature and communities.
Soil is biologically active and full of microorganisms which are important for growing crops – but it can also store water, support biodiversity and help fight climate change by capturing carbon. But soil is under threat from erosion, pollution and overuse.
Poor soil health and structure reduce its ability to hold water and for soil life to process nutrients for plants. If soils cannot absorb and store water, it can create runoff rich in chemicals and can negatively affect the water quality in our rivers and streams.
How Soil and Water Are Linked
At Affinity Water, we support farmers who protect soils and our water supply. This can be done by encouraging the use of cover crops, which shelter and provide rooting structure for soils during winter. These crops reduce bare ground and can help stop soil erosion and runoff. Cover crops also take up nutrients in the soil that might be otherwise lost to water and cause pollution.
Positive farming practices, such as cover crops and reducing soil disturbance, promoted by our catchment team, can help soils store more water and carbon and improve the quality of water entering our treatment works.
Supporting Innovation
We are proud to support sustainable farming and are a headline sponsor of Groundswell, the UK’s largest regenerative farming festival held in Hertfordshire. There we showcase our funding schemes and demonstrate the rainfall simulator to thousands of attendees which shows farmers how rainfall reacts when it rains on an array of different soils. Healthier soil means healthier crops, cleaner water and a better environment for everyone!
What Can You Do?
You don’t need to be a farmer to make a difference!
Small steps like composting, using natural fertilisers and supporting local farms so they can invest in sustainable methods can have a positive impact on soil health and the life within them.
Soil is vital for life on Earth, and by working together to protect soil, we can safeguard water supplies and support a thriving planet. So let’s celebrate this vital hero this World Soil Day!
For more about our work with farmers, view our work at Groundswell 2024 or learn about soil’s global importance on the BBC Newsround page.